Loft-door attachment.



H. P. PETERS. LoFT Doos ATTACHMENT.' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1916.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

WiTNtSSES lATTORNEY Fier.

HENRY P. PETERSQOF LESTER, IOWA.

:morir-:Door:l ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application mea March a, 1916. seriaiNo. 81,928.

To all tuwm it canveemyj p Be it known that` I, HENnY PETEns,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lester, in the county Lyon and State'of. t

new and useful, Loft-.Door Attachments, l"

Iowa, have invented cert-nin Improvements in of which the following is a speeifieatioi'i lMy invention relates to door attachments and contemplates primarily an improved construction,` combination and arrangemenu of parts whereby the space ordinarily found` in the loft door above the extended portion of the loft rail or track may be automatically closed as the door swings shut and automatically opened as the door swings open.

In describing my invention :in detail reference will be had to the accompanying (.lrawings wherein like characters denote like or correr-:pending parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is an elevation of the door attachment, illustrating the manner in which the shutters engage above the loft rail in the closed position of the door;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of teferring now to the drawings by numerals, l designates a loft door mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane toward and from the loft rail 2, the latter being mounted to extend without the loft in a manner common to the art. i

An opening 3 is formed in the door 1 to afford an operating space for the loft rail 2. A metallic protector plate 4 is fastened as indicated at 5 to the door 1 in proximity to said opening so that the shutters 6, vhereinafter' described Amay engage therewith. The said plate 4, like kthe door 1, is cut away as indicatedfat 7.y t The shutters 6 are of duplicate construction and located for relative pivotal movement against the outside face of the protector plate4, each shutter having pivotal connection as indicated at 8 at the opposite sides of the mentioned plate. Pins 9, rigid with the plate 4, operate inarcuate slots 10 therefor formed in the respective shutters 6 so that movement of said shutters, occasioned by opening and closing movement of the loft door l, may be limited. Each shutter is of a special formation, the peculiarity in formation leading tothe provision of an opening 11 through which the loft rail 2 extends inthe closed position of the door 1"arid\ the shutters 6. The opening is best illustrated in Fig. 1.

Brackets12 are pivotallyfastened as indicated at 13,` onesto each shutter 6, and one at each side of the opening 1l. Rods 14 penetrate the angnlarly"-egrtended terminals 15 of the --respeetivebraeket each rod having a pivotal connection as inbdicated at 16 with a rod 17 in t ujn mounted to penetrate angular terminal extension 18 of a bracket 19 mounted for vertical movement with respect to the protector plated. A third bracket 2U is fastened as indicated, at 2l -to the protector plate 4 beneath the opening 7 therein, said bracket like the brackets-12 and 19 being equipped with right angle terminal eXtensions 22. A reciproeable rod 23 is mounted to slide in the respective efxtensions 22 of the bracket 20, one end of said rod having a rigid connection as indicated at 24 with the bracket 19, aforesaid. A roller 25 is mounted on the rod 17 to engage with the under side of the loft rail 2 in the closed position of the shutters 6. The function of the roller 25 will be hereinafter more fully described.

Springs 26 embracen the rods 14, each spring abutting at one end an abutment member 27 adjustable upon its associate rod and at its opposite end the remote angular extension 15 of its associate bracket. Said bracket 12 being'fixed against vertical Inovement with respect to the shutters 6, and the rods 14 being reciprocable with respect to the brackets 12, it is yevident that such movement of said rod"will be against the pressure of the mentioned springs.

A main spring 28 is arranged to embrace the rod 23 and to abut respectively an adjustable abutment member 29 mounted on said rod and the angular terminal extension 22 at the lower end of the bracket 20', said spring, by means of its location, at all times exerting aii upward pressure on said rod 23 to thus cause the roller 25 to lirmly engage I with the under side of the loft rail 2 inthe closed position of the loft door 1 Flanges 30 may be formed along the abuttingedges of the shutters 6 `to preclude movement of said. 'shutters into overlapping relation and the resulting tendency to bind.'

If desired, the bracket -19 may be braced as indicated at 31 in that said brackets, during the operation of saiddoor loftattachment receive the eatest strain.

In operation, and assuming that the loft door is closed and the shuttersfa'ccordingly in a position illustrated in Fig.' 1,.it is but A1 swings open, roller 25 will ride against necessary to separate the shutters, tol open 'or lower the said door 1. As the saiddoor the under side.of the rail 2 until springs shall have expanded -suiiiciently to ca use the saidshutters-toseparate, motion being imparted to said shutters primarily by` the spring 2 8 andsecondarily by the springs 26,

l through the intermediaries 23, 19., -17 and 14.-

'i ."movement since the ,loft rail' or track is.v

Movement of the shuttersjislimitedby the slots' 10' as aforesaid. The,.door 1,were the 'shutters fixed, would be incapable of ordinari-1 'extended without the loft. 'In

- closing t e door 1, the shutters remain-inl'active until theroller 25"comes into contact with the under sidof the loft rail Whereupon'zthe rod 23 is moved .against pressure' of the spring 28 and the rodsltaccordingly fio abpve-the loft raili2 is closed automatically to preclude. the admission. of spari'ows,

moved. Movement of v"the rods `14 against pressure of v thespringe 26 will .operate the.

. Shutters i6 intof engaging proximity oriint'o brackets 12' and'a't .the Sametime draw the the position illustratedinFig. 1.

Frnthe foregoing taken in 'connection with the accompanying drawings, it ,is 'quite evident, that the V space ordinarily found pigeons, ands'o forth into the loft, ,that the opening andclosin movement of the shut- .ters 6' is governed .y movement of the loft door-.1- entirelywithojlt manual aid; and.'

' Q-that by the arrangement indicated,'opera` tion-'of the .shutters 6 willbe asdescribe'd without regard to the mani-ier in 'which the door is'attached.

In 'reduction to practice, I' liavev'found thatthe form of' 'my invention, illustrated description: Hi

.in the drawings and 'referredldn tl'ie above; as the preferredetnhndiment is the most e cient and practical {yet-'realizing that the -conditions concurfreitfwith 4the 'adoption of my device .will necessarily vary, I"desir e,to emphasize the fact that variousA y minor changes indetails of construction,

proportion and aiiangement-ofipfarts may 1 be resorted .to, whe n required, without sac-' rificing any of the advantages of nly invenl tion, as defined in the appended claims.

- Having thus' 'fully described:` my invention, what I claim as new 'and desire to se- 65 cure by Letters Patent, is 1. The combination of a movably mount- .ed door having a marginal opening adapted to receive a stationary track rail when closed, a closure for said opening including 'relatively movable sections, means for releasably retaining the sections in separated to receive a- Astationary track rail when closed, a closure for said opening including relatively. movable sections, resilient means 7 for retaining the sections in separated relation, and means mounted upon the door and adaptedto engage the track'rail lwhen the door is moved to closed positionto move the sections to closed position about the rail.

3. The combination of -aiiiovablyjmo'unt-4 ed door having a vi'narginal opening adapted.

to receive a'stationary track rail, a closure' for said opening, including sections ,pivf otall'y mounted upon the door for movement' relative to each other, resilient means rated relation,- and vmeans en the fornormallT retaining the sections' in sepadoor' adapted `to engagethe track rail when .thei door'is moved to closedposition, to move the .section 'stoward closed position, 'and about therail.'

il. Thecombination of ed door having a marginal opening adapt/ed to receivea stationary track rail', a lclosure for s aid opening" including sections pivjotally'mounted upon the door for-relative l movement to coveror uncover the opening and 'to partially encircle the track rail, 'means mounted upon thejd'oor-and engage-' 4 a movably humm?? 'able 'upon the track vrail when the doorismoved to closed position, means connecting said last mentioned means with the closure' seetions'for 'moving thesame, and resilient means engaging the lrail engaging means. j

5. An attaclunent for a track door ha'vingl an openingadapted to' receive a stationirry'q.

track rail, comprising relatively 'movable' closure' sections adapted .to be mounted on the door to cover and pncover the opening,

saidsectionsslia-vingA recesses to receivel the rai1,' brackets pivoted to the sections, rods'y -slidably' movable therein, ashaft connects...

ing certain endsof thefrods, springs encircling the rods tofform ai'esilient connection betweensaid rods andthe brackets, a'

roller von the shaft for engaging the'saidl rail,- a bearing; bracket partially sup ortii'igl the shaft, a lrod secured to the caring bracket, a bracket for" slidably supporting A the last mentioned rod, and a spring acting upon said 'rod'to urge the roller toward anoutward position whereby to retain the secv yIn testimony whereof IaX my signature tions in separated relation, and whereby in presence of. two Witnesses, v l when the door is moved to closed'postion, f HENRY P. PETERS. the roller may engage the'track rail and Witnesses: l Y 5 thereby move the door. sections to closedv S. S. DAVENPORT,

position. LAURENCE SCHUBERT. 

